Effective Saturday, Owen said some people got their mail at a different time and saw a different carrier.

"We are moving quickly to adjust carrier routes in response to reduced mail volume, which is a side effect of a sluggish economy," Owen said. "The route adjustment process is one way we can control our operating costs -- and keep mail affordable -- but we will continue to provide excellent delivery service our customers deserve and expect."

Owen said in the last two years, mail volume within the city of Davison alone has dropped from 9.2 million pieces to 7.2 million for a corresponding time period.

City of Davison deliveries are about half of the total delivery area for the post office.

Clerks who sort the mail have seen a drop from 2007 from 2.5 million parcels to 1.7 million for the same period this year.

Over the last two years, Owen said the Davison post office has replaced three full-time clerks with three part-time clerks. Three full-time carriers have been replaced by two part-time carriers. The post office also has reduced two routes in the city, Owen said.

She said home owners on several routes have been asked to move their mail boxes to the other side of the street to save on gasoline for carriers. That doesn't apply to M-15 because of safety factors, she said.

"We're sorry to make these moves at this time but we need to economize," Owen said.

The postmaster said a joint memorandum of understanding, recently signed by postal officials and representatives of the National Association of Letter Carriers, enables the postal service to move relatively quickly to implement the changes.

"Although we are working to minimize related inconvenience to customers, some customers' mail may be delivered earlier or later due to new delivery patterns," Owen said.

"Yes, delivery times may change for some of our customers, and some may notice a different carrier delivering their mail," Owen added, "but the route changes that we implement will make us more efficient, and that's a good thing for the postal service and our customers."

She said the post office at 10290 Davison Road, a half-mile east of M-15 (State Road), will maintain the same office hours of 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday.